Month: May 2011

Theatre producer Daniela Giorgi and I adapt an academic paper for theatrical presentation. Daniela is co-founder of Subtlenuance theatre company in Sydney. The paper we adapt is Krill looks and feelers: A dialogue on expanding perceptions of climate change data, which I co-authored with scientist Steve Nicol. Daniela and I co-present the adaptation at the Antarctica Music Festival and Conference at the ANU.

Program ABSTRACT

Lisa Roberts and Daniela Giorgi are Sydney-based artists. Lisa is an animator and Daniela is a writer, actor and theatre producer. Their presentation will dramatise how scientific and artistic methods have been used to make people recognise and care about krill. They will bring to life a paper co-authored by Lisa and marine scientist Steve Nicol, who propose that recent misconceptions of krill as passive particles are dangerous because they fail to connect people to them as fellow creatures. They argue that these misconceptions are being changed, however, by images made by artists and scientists who understand the importance of krill to our well-being and want to communicate that to other people. Lisa and Daniela will use animation, dance, images and words to show that krill are not mere drifters in the ocean but that they are purposeful, beautiful, playful and even sexy.

Lisa will play herself. Daniela will impersonate Steve.

The presentation was inspired by two previous presentations in the Antarctic conference series, one by Steve Nicol in Christchurch, 2008 and the other by artist Judit Hersko in Hobart, 2010.